Showbiz Sandbox 486: Box Office In the Age of the Coronavirus
March 24, 2020
For the first time in history a majority of movie theaters around the world have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. That means there is no theatrical box office to collect and analyze. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, is one of the most widely recognized box office pundits in the world. He joins us to explain not only how the industry is coping without grosses to measure their success and failure, but also what it’s like to sleep in on Sunday morning for the first time in 30 years.
In China, a few cinemas have begun opening back up, though very few people are going. Still this may provide a glimpse of where the rest of the world will be within six months after COVID-19 is under control.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how much the entertainment industry (sort of) earned last year and Woody Allen finds a publisher for his memoir.
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Showbiz Sandbox 485: Coronavirus Is Trolling the Film Industry
March 16, 2020
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is causing the biggest disruption the global entertainment industry has had to contend with in the modern era. In the movie business alone it has shut down cinemas, delayed film releases and halted productions in all corners of the world.
Andrew Wallenstein, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, proposed that now might be an opportune time for studios to finally reach an agreement with movie theaters on release windows. No sooner had the virtual ink dried on his piece Universal Pictures announced it would be distributing some of its current and future theatrical films via premium video on demand. It would, he suggests, be the entertainment industry equivalent of peace in the Middle East.
Wallenstein joins us to discuss this fast moving story and what the future may hold for cinemas and the film industry at large.
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Showbiz Sandbox 484: How the Coronavirus Is Roiling the Entertainment Industry
March 9, 2020
Like everyone around the globe, the entertainment industry has been consumed by the coronavirus. The ongoing health issue has pushed back the release date of the latest James Bond film, canceled the SXSW conference and is postponing music festivals. We cover more of the ripple effects of the pandemic including its effect on the worldwide box office.
Not all business has been halted in Hollywood however. The Directors Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP which represents producers and studios. This paves the way for the Writers Guild of America to step in and negotiate their own deal, provided they can ever settle with talent agencies.
Meanwhile, the music industry is finally making serious money again thanks to streaming. In fact, there’s a brand new streaming service in India. Music lovers in Japan though still prefer their compact discs.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Woody Allen lost the publisher of his memoir, the PGA gets a new television deal for all its golf tournaments and Led Zeppelin wins another copyright court case.
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Showbiz Sandbox 483: China Presents Hollywood With A Trillion Dollar Dilemma
March 2, 2020
Between intellectual property theft, forced joint ventures and strict government regulation, the entertainment industry has come to learn that doing business in China is difficult at best, complicated at worst. Chris Fenton, the CEO of Media Capital Technologies, knows a thing or two about doing film industry business in China, having worked in the Middle Kingdom on various project for decades. He joins us to explain the dilemma facing Hollywood in China as well as his upcoming memoir “Feeding the Dragon.”
China is, in fact, where the coronavirus originated before it spread to other countries throughout the world. Now, movie theaters in Italy and South Korea are joining their Chinese counterparts in shutting down, hoping to prevent further spread of the virus, and leading to what could be billions in box office losses.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, decided to suddenly step down last week and instead take on the role of Chairman. Disney theme park head Bob Chapek will be the company’s new CEO. We cover all the reasons for the executive shuffle.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the winners of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, Placido Domingo apologizes for past behavior (sort of) and why YouTube can’t censor content.
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